Fransisco Pereira held yet again for desecrating cross

Curchorem: Curchorem police, on Friday, informed that they have arrested a history sheeter Fransisco Xevior Pereira (58), also known as ‘Boy,’ from Kamral, Curchorem, for desecrating a cross and damaging a plaque in Curchorem.

The police said that the accused Fransisco on Friday
morning first broke a cross that was erected beside the main road at Kamral,
and later came near tiles factory at Morialem and broke a plaque that was
installed on a culvert.

“Before damaging the plaque he alerted the people who
were present nearby and declared that he is damaging the plaque and he has
already broken a cross at Kamral,” the police added.

“Later, he went
away from the site. When somebody alerted the Curchorem police, police personnel
rushed to the spot but by that time he had vanished from the spot,” the police
said.

Upon inquiry, the police said that they learnt that the
accused had gone to Verna and he was supposed to attend a case in the court of
District Collector, Margao at 2.30 pm. The police team awaited for him outside
the Collector’s court and when he came out of the courtroom he was arrested.

The accused Fransisco has admitted of having committed
the crime, informed the police, adding he damaged the cross and the plaque with
a hammer that he had purchased for Rs 220 from the Curchorem market.

The police informed that they have recovered the hammer
from the accused and also attached his van, and added that fingerprint experts
have collected some evidence from the site of the desecrated

cross.

Offences under Section
295 and Section 427 of the IPC have registered against the accused
following a complaint filed by Lucia Diniz from Kamral for desecrating the
cross.

Similarly, acting on the complaint lodged by AE Swapnil
Dessai (PWD Quepem), offence under Section 3 of PDPP Act for damaging the
plaque has been registered.

The case of desecration of the cross is being
investigated by PSI Karishma Prabhu while the second case is being handled by
hawaldar Prakash Naik under the supervision of PI Ravi Desai.

It may be recalled that the accused was convicted in the
year 2000 for shooting at one youth from Khamamol, Curchorem, and had
undergone imprisonment.

On July 15, 2017, the accused Fransisco was arrested by
the Curchorem police for allegedly damaging several crosses installed on the
graves and also the marbles fixed on the graves on July 10, 2017. Subsequently,
the police from Curchorem, Quepem,
Margao, Maina Curtorim and Cuncolim had filed charge-sheets against him in some
16 cases of desecration of holy places. However, he was acquitted in some cases
while some cases are pending in the court of law.